The good news is that there are other ways to work out that will also help you get fit and healthy. One example is high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts. Incorporating exercises like squats, burpees, pushups, and plank variations into your workout will not only help you work up a sweat in no time, you’ll feel noticeably stronger within just a couple of weeks of consistent HIIT workouts. Contrast that with HIIT training, where there’s actually an afterburn effect1 up to 24 to 48 hours post–HIIT workout. Your metabolism will be running higher after an intense workout, meaning you’ll end up burning more calories overall despite the shorter workout time. Combine exercises like push-ups, squats, and mountain climbers to get a full-body workout in less time than it takes to run 2 miles. This will ensure you can engage in your favorite sport—whether it’s a team sport like soccer or basketball, an individual sport like boxing or martial arts, or even parkour or adult gymnastics—without getting overly tired. And when you don’t get tired easily, you can really focus on working on all the cool skills you want to do. Work hard enough and not only will your muscles feel the burn, but you’ll also be challenging yourself and pushing yourself to new limits you never thought you’d reach. Because you can do anything you put your mind to! From trying her first push up in college, to teaching herself to do pull ups and handstands, Krista is living proof of her philosophy that everybody is an athlete. She has helped tens of thousands of people to unlock their full athletic potential through her 12 Minute Athlete HIIT Workouts app and 12 Minute Athlete blog. You can find her @12minuteathlete on all social platforms.
